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Excellent RPG in line with the best

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 40 / 43
Date: June 24, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Having played most of the RPGs out on all three console systems, I had been looking into another time waster RPG that I could play that would not only keep me entertained gameplay-wise but also story-wise. There was a series I kept hearing about, Shin Megami Tensei. Two games have been released not even 8 months apart from each other, Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and now Digital Devil Saga. I quickly bought both. One I loved, the other not so much.

As it turns out, I tried playing Nocturne first and was completely and utterly frustrated at some design choices in the game. Not only that, but the story didn't seem to be going anywhere, so I quit playing it. I decided to give the Shin Megami series a second chance and tried Digital Devil Saga. All of my complaints of the first game were completely addressed in this game.

Let's start with the story. Digital Devil Saga incorporates a very dark story involving demons and human nature and computers into a wonderful package. The strengths of its story not only lie in the huge events that propel it along but also in some subtle areas. Character reactions that seem a bit over the top in the beginning make perfect sense the more you think about it. SPOILER: it's like the characters are experiencing feelings for the first time and therefore all of their actions and reactions may seem over the top because they are experiencing this heightened feeling for the first time. The story continues up to a climax that leaves the game hanging. Good thing the sequel comes out in August.

Another positive is that you are playing with static characters, humans who can transform into demons. These characters allow more a story format to follow since you have a full party that talks and acts on their own. It's also nice not to have to worry about screwing the characters up (like you could in the fusion system of Nocturne).

And this is a good thing because the combat system in DDS is exactly like in Nocturne. It's based on strength and weaknesses. Every character in the game (save for some bosses) have strengths and weaknesses and it is through manipulating these weaknesses that you can win battles. For instance, if a monster is weak against fire, you want to use fire on him not only to do more damage but to also give you an extra turn to attack. Each character gets one action but by using a weakness, the character only uses 1/2 of their action points. Conversely, enemies can use your weaknesses against you. It's here that you want to combat that. If they use an ability a character is strong against, it takes away their turns. By manipulating strengths and weaknesses, you can control the tide of battle.

I also like what they did with the abilities. Whereas in Nocturne, if you took a new ability you had to effectively forget another ability and it was lost forever, DDS fixes this by allowing you to learn abilities then giving you slots to choose which ones to equip. That way you never fret over having to "forget" an ability which might be the only key to your success later on. It seems like such a small thing, but the ability to customize your characters to battles really helps the game move along.

Speaking of abilities, DDS uses a system much like the sphere grid in FFX. Each character starts with certain abilities already learned from Mantras, and by learning beginning Mantras, you open up paths to bigger and better Mantras. You download Mantras from Terminals for Macha (the monetary system) and by winning battles you gain AP used to learn each Mantra. Afterwards, you can equip learned abilities how you see fit. This gives you a much more rewarding customization option than seen in Nocturne.

The graphic style is also like Nocturne and is real interesting to me. And the art style is also intriguing, the demon designs are inspired, especially the demon you and your friends can turn into. The music is pretty decent (you get the soundtrack album with the purchase) and the voice acting is decent. Once I realized why the characters were over-emphasizing every little emotion they have I appreciated it much more. In the beginning, it is a little jarring because they are talking about emotions in such a heightened, over the top, roll your eyes way. But it's all for a point.

I know that in my review I kept referencing Nocturne. I can't help it. The two games are so intertwined on so many levels that comparisons are impossible to miss. I also bring it up because there might be other players out there like me who couldn't really get into Nocturne and are on the fence with this game because of it. I think if you are new to the Shin Megami Tensei series and want to get your feet wet, try this game before you try (if you even want to try) Nocturne. It is more in line with a traditional RPG format. I will say that DDS is a truly exceptional RPG game with a dark and mature story that brings to life questions about humanity. And it solves all of the problems I had with Nocturne (you can see my review on Nocturne to see what I mean). Not only does it fix problems in Nocturne, but it stands in line with what are considered the pillars of the console RPG community. An excellent adventure with fun gameplay. If you like RPGs you should definitely give this one a try.

Great Game!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 34 / 37
Date: April 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Great Game!!! I purchased this game with high expectations only to find that those expectations were right on!

It has a great story in that you are a gang struggling in a place called the junkyard to survive. Each gang (there are about 7 of them) must fight with each other, and the last gang standing gets to a place called Nirvana. That's where the game starts, but it takes a twist right off the bat!

The graphics and sound are great! If you order the game now, you may be able to get the boxed set, which actually comes with the soundtrack, so you can't go wrong! The graphics are the cell-shaded type, but it's very well done. The tone in the game is a very run down civilization, raining all the time, and Atlus does a great job at giving that feel. In my opinion, the dungeons are one of the best in a long time in a RPG. It has a mix of puzzle and exploration mixed together perfectly. The puzzles are very minimal but really add a great experience to the game. There are a lot of places to explore, and there is actually some mini games mixed in as well!

The combat is where this game really shines! It is turned based, but thank goodness it is! With all the RPGs now going to real time combat (even FF XII is going to be real time), this game is a diamond in the rough in that it brings the turn base combat back with a challenge. You MUST use strategy each and every time you fight, and if you don't, you won't last long.

The leveling up system in the game is also very well done. Your character earns experience points after each battle just like every other RPG you've played along with currency. The twist that Atlus has done to make each character very customizable is that you need to buy what powers your characters will use! This adds incredible depth to the leveling up experience! The faster you defeat your enemies, the more currency you get, so again, the strategy you use really plays a big part in the game.

If you are looking for a great RPG, with a unique feel, you can't go wrong with Digital Devil Saga. It's a deep rewarding experience that any fan of the RPG genre will enjoy.

Whoa...Part Final Fantasy X and Part Phantasy Star II.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 12
Date: October 11, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is a straight up, turn based RPG. The mechanics of the game are simple: Control up to three characters at a time (out of 5), and teach them extra skills via a sphere grid system (ala FFX). So if we've played FFX and PS2...why bother right?
Here is the thing, I've never been one to care at all about story in an RPG. I could care less, but the story in this game is dark...way dark and religious and philosophical. It really darn cool. Also, leveling up is quick and easy. You're constantly learning new skills and finding out new secrets about the game. It has that mysterious quality about it that used to make games so compelling (like PS2 and the original Zelda). It uses the player's imagination to keep them playing the game...not flashy graphics and cg scenes.
If you want a fun, 50+ hour rpg that will keep you enthralled and never gets boring or pointless, then this is the game for you. It does have a tendancy to kick you in the tail once in a while, bu that only makes it more fun!

An excellent Game worth having a sequel for.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: May 22, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Digital Devil Saga continues the Shin Megami Tensei trend of offereing more mature games for a growing audience. Immediately the game starts off with a heated and bloody confrontation between two tribes in a mysterious world called the "Junkyard"

This opening also introduces you to a style that just won't quit. Eerie landscapes and one of the, if not THE best example of Cell shaded Graphics seen thus far.

Things pick up right away when a mysterious structure explodes amidst this skirmish, and everyone starts having violent spasms and begin turning into monsters. You know this takes a more supernatual seat as Your main character, Serphs Monoscope begins reading the words "EAT THEM ALL" All across the screen.

The Battle system is Turn based, with an emphasis on exploiting the weakness of your enemies. This can grant your team extra actions during its turn, but you'd best be wary. The same applies for the enemy. This adds a level of depth to combat that can make or break a good team. You won't get away with simply button mashing here.
The Bosses are also some of the harder ones seen in a Role playing game. Things can heat up quickly, so you always need to watch out for potential weakness while covering your own.

The Music is very fitting for the Indian influenced theme, but some of the of the tracks are rather short. Still, with the boxed set you manage you'll get the OST, so the tunes will quickly grow on you.

The plot remains fairly simple for the first half of the game, so the buildup doesn't start until the latter half, which leads to a bit of anitclimax while it pauses, waiting for the second installment coming out this August.

In closing, this is an excellent start to what promises to be a satisfying end.

Suprisingly Great Game, Better than Nocturne

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: September 12, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Before I played this game I played SMT: Nocturne. I was impressed with the game mechanics, as well as delighted with the difficulty of the game (unlike FF games, it was possible to be wiped out by even low level monsters if you weren't careful). So, when I saw another game sporting the SMT engine was coming to the PS2 I reserved it immediately.

Frankly I found this game to be better than SMT:N in most respects. True you don't get to create an "army" of monsters as in SMT:N (probably one of the better features of SMT:N), but you do have a greater control of the growth of your characters than you did in SMT:N (you no longer loose forever the skills that you replace).

So here is a breakdown of the game:

Plot: 4/5 Very good plot, somewhat confusing, but most of us who play Japanese games and read Mangas are used to being kept in the dark about what is really going on (as well as spending much of the earlier moments confused as hell... Big-O is a great example of this). Much like Xenosaga, there is a lot of information available that can be used to help figure things out, but you have to pay attention and be ready to think a little outside the box. The only thing I disliked was the use of the "silent protagonist". I hate this technique with a passion, where the main character is only given choices every once and a while, and in the meantime doesn't say a single word. Some of you may be familiar with this technique, as it's been used in a lot of games, such as Chrono trigger (and cross as well), SMT:N, the Breath of Fire games, and a couple of the Suikoden games (the first one for sure). The reason I dislike this technique? It causes the main character to be flat, shallow, and pretty much iconic. Basically, it prevents a lot of possible character development for who should be the focus of the plot. But with the Silent Protagonist character, you can only learn about the main character through others, and the others are of course allowed to reach a depth the main character cannot obtain. In SMT:DDS the main character "Serph" is the allowed only to reach a state that I would call "Robotic." There are a couple of moments where he is portrayed as having more depth, but those are fleeing and overall you are left with a character who seems to lack a personality. This aside, the other characters are developed fairly well, with enough left unknown to merit the sequel.

Graphics: 3/5 Good. This was made stright up using the SMT engine from nocturne. They even kept most of the demons from nocturne. The backgrounds and dungeons are somewhat drab, but that is done intentionally because of the setting in which the game takes place. The only negative side to the graphics is that sometimes the resolution is somewhat low, which can lead to problems with positioning.

Sound: 5/5 Excellent. This is one of the few successes in voice acting I've seen in a dubbed video game recently. While the voice acting isn't the best in the world, it at least portrays the characters well, and the lines aren't given with a constant tone of wooden indifference. There are a couple of voices that don't quite hit the mark, but the core cast is very well done. The music is excellent, many of the tunes fit the atmosphere, and the introduction reel by Etero Anime fits the intro scene.

Control: 5/5 Great. The controls are almost exactly as they were in SMT:N. The battle system uses the same attack number determination as well. Most controls are straight forward, although the battle system is more complex for those used to FF turn based style combat. But if you pay attention and read up on the combat, it becomes second nature after a while.

Novelty: 2/5 Below average. This is the one low point of the game. It is unfortunate that they chose to keep so many of the monsters from SMT:N. It made the game feel more like a mod than an actual self enclosed game. By keeping so much of the SMT:N system they pretty much lost all ability to consider the game a novel creation. Although DDS is a great game, if you've played nocturne, you'll find yourself saying "hey wait a minute I've seen this before" quite a bit. The plot is quite original, as is many of the items and some new skills. But for the most part, it feels like you are playing a game with 40% new material and 60% recycled material.

Overall: 5/5 It's a great game despite a few flaws. If you liked SMT:N then you'll love this game. If you hated SMT:N or found it frustratingly difficult, then you'll find this game much the same.

Great SMT spin-off

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: August 10, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Digital Devil Saga takes the gamer through a story that ends on a very open, but extremely promising note. On the way to the end though, the gamer will encounter a plethoria of all the right things to make one become immersed in an inovative yet slightly old fashioned experience.

Borrowing a lot from it's "father" game Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, the game utilizes a similar combat engine, variety of monsters, and graphics engine. The similarities do not stop there though, and one can imeediatily realize how unmistakable this is as a SMT spin-off. In fact, the game even includes some utilities that can be drawn to other RPG series such as Final Fantasy (the mantra system that the game employes to help the characters learn new skills has a slight similarity to FF6's esper system). Taking these already used mechanics, Atlus has intertwined them togother in such a fashion (and mixed in a puzzling but very good storyline)that makes the gamer wanting even more as the credits come to a close. And that is just where it begins, because this game also takes an interesting step by having a direct follow up sequil!

Digital Devil Saga's storyline kicks off in the middle of a war that is taking place in a strange post apopcalyptic version of earth called "The Junkyard". Tribes duke it out in order for one to conquor all the other ones to appease the ruling "Karma Temple", which promises to deliver the victorious tribe to a place called Nirvana. Things take a turn for the weirder though, and questions begin to arise all over the place when two tribes (one of which is the tribe lead by the character you will be playing as) discover a bizzare object that sets off an explosion, releasing a virus that causes everyone in the Junkyard to have the ability to transform into a demon... as well as have an insatiable hunger that must be kept in check.
Yes, the game employes canibalism as a pivitol mechanism, you could say, but it does it in such a fashion that you won't even think twice when it's time to devour a helpless enemy who you've slaved away at.

The music of SMT:DDS is really good. Just as it's "father game" SMT: N, DDS merges forms of fast paced hard rock with techno, creating a wonderful gaming soundtrack. And it is not limited to only that, as there are also well composed soft pieces for the dramatic moments, and a couple vocal tracks to seal the deal. The sound effects are also very well managed, as they all capture the feel of battle, and help with the addictive manner of slicing an enemy in half and reaping the exp/ap awards. And let's not forget about the voice acting, which is a triumph for SMT here, as it helps add much depth to the game.

Another great feature that DDS has is the plethoria of optional bosses you have to conquor, adding more hours to your gameplay. True, these optional bosses probably will not boost it by much (supposidly the average time for covering the whole game is only about 40-50 hours), but it will leave the gamer satisfied much more, especaly after they duke it out with the ultra difficult boss that they can only encounter on their second play through!

In the end, DDS has it all, despite being a little short on game length. It does have enough loose ends though and potential though that allows the gamer to look immensly towards it's sequil, which is shaping up rather well as of this writing (8/9/05).

This game has raised the bar of "good RPGs"

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: June 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The Digital Devil Saga of the Shin Megami Tensei series goes even further than its predecessor Nocturne on story line and battle system.

In the past there are always plenty of dark themes in the series, this one focuses on only one: kill to survive. The six tribes in Junkyard have to defeat other tribes in order to reach their dream land Nirvana; and the whole hi-tech battling became primitive preying once the residents were infected by a demonic virus. With the virus they obtained great power, but in the mean time they have to devour other beings in order to supress the virus' self destructive power. The battle goes on, just with more hunger, tearing, biting, self-denying, and bleeding.

Serph, the lead character, happened to be one of the tribe leaders who inherited a pretty decent demon. With the help of other four fighting member and a mysterious cyber shaman, they killed their way out and exposed more and more conspiracy about this whole Junkyard thingy. They even start regaining their thoughts, their memories, and even their original iris color... the plot of the story suddenly became very "Matrix-like." and you'd be totally hooked up with the question "Who's this guy behind all this?" Unfortunately, you have to beat this one and the next one, Digital Devil Saga 2 (to be released in Aug, 2005,) to find out the real answer.

The battle system is superb. Characters can download different Mantra and learn their skills. Once you learned the skills, you can save them up and can always retrieve them when you're not in battle. This means you have to plan ahead and assign the skills wisely; missing a single skill can mean being kicked very badly by a boss. As usual there would be some hidden bosses who have some hidden Mantra that can make you the star of demons. At the craziest status, you can reflect nearly all magical attacks, absorb physical demage, nullify all ailment-inducing skills, reflect all death/expel spells, recover HP/MP completely after every battle.

The battle is turn-based. Skill allocation and lining up of members would greatly affect your battling efficieny. If you happened to hit the enemy's weakpoint; or you did nullify/reflect/absorb an enemy's attack, they may get frightened and you can then easily devour them with "Hunt" skills. They are not only yummy, but would also let your Mantra mature more quickly - a great incentive to sit down with a memo pad and write down their strengths/weaknesses.

And for those who had beated the game once, don't selve it yet. The second game cycle allows you to carry over all the learned skills and mature Mantra, so you can start repaying for all the hard time you had in the first game cycle. The second cycle also unlocked an extra hidden boss - a you-know-who if you have completed Nocturne. Even you have beated the second cycle, don't delete the save file in the memory card. That file would grant you extra stuff when you play the upcoming Digital Devil Saga 2 - including parameter bonus, hidden Mantra rings, extra starting cash, and hard mode.

What RPG fans have been waiting for

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: June 26, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I have been really disappointed with all of the new RPG's going to action based instead of turn based, so I was excited to get this one home and try it out. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. You need to learn to exploit your enemy's weakness to get an extra turn, and if the enemy exploits yours they get an extra turn so you have to plan your actions accordingly. The story starts out kind of slow, but gets much better as the game progresses. It is rightly rated M, as you have to "eat" your enemies. Overall, highly recommended.

Finally, this franchise is making it to America!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: September 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Digital Devil Saga is another entry into the MegaTen franchise which has been going strong for over 20 years. Amazingly it is only the fourth or so game to be released in America (being beaten out by the Persona games and Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne). This is a member of one of the top franchises in video game history and you can finally see what it's all about.

The game revolves around the land of the Junkyard. A mysterious world where it always rains, and everyone has been rendered virtually emotionless (kinda like Equilibrium for anyone familiar with that movie). All the worlds inhabitants have been divided into six tribes that are waging war to becoming the controllers of the Junkyard, thus earning the right to ascend to Nirvana. During a battle between the Embryon (your tribe) and a rival tribe, a mysterious object appears in the center of the warzone. When it opens, flashes of light fly around piercing the hearts of every person in the Junkyard, turning them into demons. Inside the object is a girl named Sera who has the ability to control the transformation into demons and the hunger that coincides with it. Shortly thereafter a new order is given to the tribes from the high council in charge of the Junkyard, instead of beating the enemy tribes you must now devour your enemy and satisfy the hunger growing within.

The game plays like a top notch RPG, however it takes a bit more strategy as those used to just mashing on the attack button will be overwhelmed and find the game amazingly difficult. This is because the battle system rewards attacking an enemies weakness and condemns playing to their strengths. Meaning you must keep a well balanced party that has skills in virtually every area. In battle, if you hit an enemies weakness, you gain extra attacks. Hit an immunity or fail to connect, you lose turns. Sounds great, until you realise the enemy can exploit this tactic as well. Because of this even a group of lower level enemies can get a sneak attack in and wipe you out if you aren't careful.

To gain the spells and abilities neccesary to survive, one must master Mantras. To do this you just equip them and then accumulate AP in battle. The trick is, the fastest way to gain AP is to devour your enemy. Careful though, eat to fast and you get a stomach ache, eliminating any AP that you would have gained. All in all, it is a system that allows for deep customization of characters since any character can gain any spell and while it may seem daunting at first is actually quite simple.

The game however is quite difficult until you learn how to manipulate enemy weaknesses and nearly every boss will take a bit of trial and error to find their weaknesses, so expect to reload a few times. The amazing story though will drive you through these points and give you the drive to finish the game (and ultimately play the sequel). It is one of the greatest examples of storytelling I have seen in recent games and stands as one of my favorites.

The graphics in the game are top notch. Now don't get too attached to the idea that when I say top notch I mean Final Fantasy CG quality. In fact, they are cel-shaded. Many people are opposed to cel-shading, but this game shows that when it is done right it is something to behold. The Junkyard is beautiful (in a dreary sort of way) and the character and monster designs are great. If you have doubts about cel-shading just search for the trailer on a gaming site and see for yourself, it is gorgeous.

The music is also very good. I actually found myself going to the same location before saving and quiting (as long as I wasn't in a dungeon) just to hear the music. My only complaint is that the sound track didn't include the intro song "Danger" by Etro Anime.

All in all, this is one of the most overlooked RPG's from last year and in my opinion was one of the top 3 to be released. The final composition of every element coming together provides a very satisfying and rewarding gaming experience and I recommend this game above pretty much every other major RPG I own (including Final Fantasy's 7 and up). Get this game, you won't be disappointed.

What a GAME!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 20, 2005
Author: Amazon User

First of all, i have been waiting to play an RPG of this overall caliber since i experienced FFX (my first FF game) 3 years ago. Sure, games have come and gone, but this is a story that is so appealing for it's originality. A little bit of all the sci-fi that audiences love, it's amazing in it's overall glory.

This game presented original characters as well as cel-shaded animation for a different look than the high quality cgi from other lavish games like Baten Kaitos or FF games. But this has a gripping storyline as well as characters that you are able to grow to like. You feel for each of them as they are each taken-over by their alter-demon.

The game is lengthy at points and some times require patient character-building. You may have to spend a few hours just collecting Atma and slowly progressing across the mantra board. But it comes to pay you back in the end. This is an often used strategy of mine. Just using a litle time here or there to beef up my guys. Find a profitable location close to a Save point and just keep the points coming.

Overall, the game has been fascinating and i sit restless waiting for the sequel to come out on August 23rd! It's so close....

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